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25 Insane (But True) Facts About Promotional Products

If you’re in the business of finding promotional products, you know the impact they can have on an organisation’s marketing efforts. But do you know these fun facts about promotional products?

Eight in 10 consumers own between one and 10 promotional products.

Fifty-three percent of these people use a promotional product at least once a week.

Six in 10 of them keep promotional products for up to two years.

Only one in five people will trash an unwanted promotional product.

Before receiving a promotional product, 55 percent of people had done business with the advertiser. After receiving a promotional product, 85 percent of people did business with the advertiser.

With nearly six thousand impressions, bags generate more impressions than any other promotional product in the U.S.

Thirty-one percent of U.S. consumers own a promotional bag.

At one-tenth of a cent, bags tie with writing instruments for the lowest cost per impression of any promotional product in the U.S.

The first known promotional products – commemorative buttons – trace back to 1789 when George Washington was elected president.

Fifty-three percent of the time, promotional products create a more favorable impression of the advertiser.

Forty-eight percent of consumers would like to receive promotional products more often.

Consumers hang on to promotional products for an average of 6.6 months.

Sixty-nine percent of consumers would pick up a promotional product if they deemed it useful.

Sixty-three percent of consumers pass along the promotional products they no longer wish to keep.

Eighty-nine percent of consumers can recall the advertiser of a promotional product they’d received in the last two years.

Ninety-one percent of consumers have at least one promotional product in their kitchen, 74 percent have at least one in their workspace, 55 percent have at least one in their bedroom.

Seventy-seven percent of consumers say a promotional product’s usefulness is the number-one reason to keep it, with health and safety products, computer products and writing instruments ranked as the most useful.

The top five buyers of promotional products are clients in education, finance, not-for-profit, healthcare, and construction.

Wearables are the top product category, followed by writing instruments, bags, calendars and drinkware.

The first promotional product tradeshow was held in 1914 – there were 32 exhibitors.

Women are more likely to have bags, writing instruments and calendars, whereas men are more likely to own shirts and caps.

Ownership of logoed outerwear is highest in the Midwest, with 15 percent of people owning an item.

Logoed mugs in particular are more effective advertising than radio and television spots; 57 percent of people were able to recall the advertiser on a mug, versus 32 percent of radio and 28 percent of T.V.

Adding a promotional product to the media mix increases the effectiveness of other media by up to 44 percent.

Promotional products draw as many as 500 percent more referrals from satisfied customers than an appeal letter alone.

7 Golden Rules for Picking Great Promotional Products

Everyday customers old and new reach out to BONGO to get sound advice on what promotional products they should use for their business. But what makes a great promotional product? With 1000’s of lines available online, it can be daunting to get to grips with the options!

To help you, here are 7 golden rules for picking great promotional products:

QUALITY Quality is the key. If a quality and useful promotional product is received by your client – they will certainly remember you.

DESIRABILITY This is especially important to get right as gifting potential leads an item that isn’t desirable, may reflect your company in the same light: a desirable item denotes a company of quality!

USABILITY Understand that usability key! Statistics show that 90.4% of people report currently owning or possessing a promotional product received in the last 24 months so it stands to reason that the most useful the item is, the more likely it is that your promotional product will stick around, day in, day out.

RELEVANCE Understand that relevance is a big factor – and every sector is different. A branded lip balm for a Lawyer’s conference – is that the best fit? Would that gift be relevant and well received by those potential leads? Probably not. Understand your target audience and pick the most desirable items for the people you want to want to reach out to.

CREATIVITY Use promotional products to make a lasting statement about who your company are, and what you offer. Take time to think of a creative idea that ties in with your brand marketing strategy – what special service do you offer? What goods can you deliver? Don’t be afraid to think outside the box – be fun! Are you a dentist? Why not send out some sugar-free sweets in a playful way? Trying to recruit people to sign up to your gym? Why not gift them a free water bottle so that you’re always on their desk, reminding them to get in touch and get fit – the possibilities are endless!

INTRIGUING Try and see your product to introduce a bit of curiosity with your potential customers, we can help you with plenty of inspiration! For example, is a client a PR company? Why not send a branded pen with an inscription – ‘What could we write for you?’. Be playful, think outside the box. What would intrigue you to make that enquiry?

GOOD VALUE However great all the other rules – just remember what would be best associated with your brand: VALUE.

Power Banks

Power Banks – what you need to know when purchasing Power Banks.

There is a growing demand for power banks and there are many differences! Power Banks differ from one style to another predominantly with the main difference being the quality of the battery. The quality relates to the type of Lithium battery, true capacity, cell grade, regulated output voltage/current and protection circuitry. In fact 70% of the unit cost for a power bank can be devoted to the quality of the battery.

The capacity of a power bank gives an indication of how much you can charge. For example, a capacity of 2600mAh allows an iPhone 5 (battery approximately 1570mAH) to be fully charged, however a Samsung Galaxy S5 (battery approximately 3000 mAH) cannot be fully charged. A power bank at 2200 mAH will not fully charge an iPhone 5S partly due to voltage equation output.

It’s all about Output and Input – This part controls the flow of capacity into the device to be charged. For example, you can have a very high capacity 5200 mAH yet it takes forever to charge. Think of a bucket filled with water, the smaller the hole in this bucket (output) the longer it takes for the water to run out. The output of the power banks enables charging of only smart phones or tablets. In general, smart phones need an output between 0.5A and 1A, while tablets need a least 1A to 2A. The higher the ampage the faster your device charges.

Inside the power bank is a lithium battery. There is a big difference to quality depending on the battery. Cheap batteries might catch fire or even explode when over charged. The correct circuitry to prevent overheating and reverse charging must be present. Such goods should have MSDS (material safety and data sheets) when imported.

Batteries – batteries fall into 2 major groups both of which can be called ‘rechargeable’. A Lithium ion – tends to be rectangular or cylindrical and is usually cheaper. They are hard shelled with a strong casing. They weight a little bit more, are sturdier and are hard to puncture. They also have high energy densities and cost less as they suffer from ageing, even when not in use. The Lithium Polymer – tends to be thinner and come in a silver bag. They are soft shelled and can be damaged easier. They weight less and can fit into small shells particularly the custom designed PVC moulded power banks. Although these batteries are more expensive – they are a better battery.

Questions to ask when purchasing Power Banks

Is the supply of your power bank from a company that meets international compliance?

Do the Power Banks come with relevant compliance certificates be that CE, FCC, Reach, ROHS and UN38.3 for transport?

What battery is in the power banks and are they a brand like Samsung or generic?

Do the power banks come with control circuitry to regulate the voltage and current output to prevent your phone charging the power bank?

These are all important questions to check on when purchasing POWER BANKS. If one price is ridiculously cheaper than others, then the question one must ask is what is the quality of the battery. Don’t get short changed – always go with a quality product – because you may get burnt literally.

Paper Weights – check out our new range of paper weights. Custom printed Paper Weights are round or square with your design in full colour. Paper Weights have a velvet backing to prevent scratching. Paperweights make an ideal promotional gift and keeps your advertising message in front of your client at all times. Minimum order as low as 10 units. Available in two shapes – round or square.

Decorative glass or acrylic paperweights fit easily into the hand and are actually meant to be handled and viewed from various directions through the dome, which acts like a lens to make the design change in its appearance with its movements in an attractive way.

The Origin of Paper Weights

Antique paperweights were made in the “classic” years between 1845 and 1860 primarily in three French factories named Baccarat, St. Louis, and Clichy. Together with inventor Justin Schubert of a neighbouring town, they made between 15,000 to 25,000 weights in the classic period. Weights (mainly of lesser quality) were also made in the United States, United Kingdom, and elsewhere, though Bacchus (UK) and New England Glass Company (US) produced some that equaled the best of the French. Modern weights have been made from about 1950 to the present.

In the US, Charles Kaziun started in 1940 to produce buttons, paperweights, inkwells and other bottles, using lamp-work of elegant simplicity. In Scotland, the pioneering work of Paul Ysart from the 1930s onward preceded a new generation of artists such as William Manson, Peter McDougall, Peter Holmes and John Deacons. A further impetus to reviving interest in paperweights was the publication of Evangiline Bergstrom’s book, Old Glass Paperweights, the first of a new genre.

A number of small studios appeared in the middle 20th century, particularly in the US. These may have several to some dozens of workers with various levels of skill cooperating to produce their own distinctive “line”. Notable examples are Lundberg Studios, Orient and Flume, Correia Art Glass, St.Clair, Lotton, and Parabelle Glass.

In the late 1960s and 1970s, artists such as Paul Stankard, his former assistant, Jim D’Onofrio, Chris Buzzini, Delmo and daughter Debbie Tarsitano, Victor Trabucco and sons, Gordon Smith, Rick Ayotte and his daughter Melissa, and the father and son team of Bob and Ray Banford, began breaking new ground and were able to produce fine paperweights rivaling anything produced in the classic period.